......but sometimes, real meaning comes out in chanced upon rhymes.....
What is your name ? Craig Harrowven
Who do you want the poem written for ? by brother Michael Jack Harrowven
Why do you want the poem written ? My brother passed away on July 16th
aged 34yrs
What style of poem would you prefer (happy, sad, romantic etc.) ? It is
a sad occassion but I want to talk about memories and good times
Please choose which package you would prefer ? unique
Would you like a copy of the handwritten drafts ? yes
What are the key messages you would like to send ? The real message I
would like to send is one of remembering the good times and keeping
those memories close to us. I would like a verse or 2 at the beginning
to maybe be a bit sad to indicate our lose and how much he will be
missed but then become light hearted and a bit fun.
Do you have any funny, sad, happy, embarrassing or otherwise memorable
moments that you would like to share ? When growing up Michael was very
inquisitive, adventures and loved a joke which often got him into
trouble or difficulties. My mum recalls the number of times he was
taken to hospital for falling out of trees.
One day he fell out of a
tree in the back garden and ended up in hospital. My dad then cut the
tree down the same day, but the very same day he climbed the fence and
fell down from that too. He also swallowed pennies, marbles and
balloons. It got to the stage where the doctors and nurses knew him as
soon as he walked in the doors and they said ‘ hello again Michael’! –
he was a typical boy.
However, growing up didn’t stop this. For one
birthday be asked for a toy microscope, so mum and dad thought great,
we have a scientist / brains in the family. Little did they know this
was still his inquisitive side at work. When cleaning the room mum
would find cut up beatles and bugs under the bed where he had been
experimenting (some might say torturing). As he grew up it only got
worse.
Another occasion that comes to mind in sticking a metal coat
hook into a live socket and sticking his fingers in too. Lets just say
he never done that again – but the reminder on the socket remained for
years, even though he tried to hide it and say he got his fingers shut
in the door.
As Michael entered adulthood the practical joker started
to shine through. There was a particular joke that I would like
mentioned. My brother ordered a pizza and when the delivery guy turned
up, lets just say my brothers and friend answered the door indicating
there was some kind of gay orgy going on. The scene included a hoover
lol.
I want to make a joke of the memory the pizza guy must have. If
you could mention something with this in it, mentioning the memory that
must be left with the delivery boy. Later in life, Michael moved to
Ipswich (this was due to a brief spell in prison) but I would like to
make a joke about this without mentioning prison, maybe something to
due with his inquisitiveness and how he ended up being there.
However,
moving to Ipswich was where he met his fiancé Sally. I would like a
verse or 2 dedicated from her. Her memories will be that they were
perfect together and they both said this was th best times they had
ever hard, and that everyday they told each other they loved each
other. Her lasting memory will be the wonderful longs walks in the
woods with Molly and Trixy (dogs).
These were the best days. More joke
memories. Every year Michael would send us Christmas and Birthday
Cards. However, for Christmas the card would say happy 4th birthday or
something, and your birthday card would say Happy Easter or Happy New
year. Michael never really grew up, always loved a joke and could light
up any party.
He loved live and lived it to the full with a smile. He
knew when to be serious and would drop anything at anytime if any of us
needed his help. There are 4 brother, Karl, Martin, Michael and myself
Craig, and a sister Michelle. Every year growing up we grew sunflowers
in the back garden – we would have one each. Michael always wanted to
be a winner with these and would (thinking we didn’t know) would
sabotage ours.
Every year I will now grow sunflowers in his memory. He
will be missed by us all! When going to the beach Michael used to get
so excited that he would run off. When he eventually calmed down he
would notice that no one else was with him. Numerous times people would
find him and say does he belong to you. One night my mum came home, and
shall we say she had had a few drinks and as a result fell into the
neighbours hedge leaving a big hole.
The next morning Michael tried to
fill this with a branch from a different tree. The neighbour asked him
what he was doing and he simply said that mum had got drunk and fell
into the bush – my mum would not come out for a while lol Michael was
very caring and sensitive even if he didn't always show it. We are all
proud to have him in our family and to have met him. He will leave us
all with everlasting memories. RIP Bro His nickname was mickey!
Do you have any other comments or thoughts ? Thanks Allen. I would like
the poem to be called loveable rogue They may be more as I have asked
some family to think of things too.
Our Loveable Rogue
As I said in my eulogy, Michael meant so much to me, but
sometimes, real meaning comes out in chanced upon rhymes,
so I did want to take this opportunity, to celebrate,
you see, Michael really did have some eventful times.
And as his brother, I have witnessed more than a few,
so I think it's our duty to remember the happy, not the sad,
and let us all keep those memories close to us, as part of us,
because with Michael, we've shared some of the best times ever had.
Mind you, when growing up. Michael was very inquisitive,
yes, certainly adventurous and he was very fond of a joke,
but that wanton sense of humour often got him into trouble,
and climbing trees? Timber! He literally went for broke!
In fact, Mum lost count of the times she took him to hospital,
and even when Dad cut the tree down, he fell off a fence, THAT same day,
he also managed to swallow pennies, marbles and balloons, and
"Hello AGAIN Michael" is what you'd often hear the doctor say.
But really, he was just a typical boy, doing what boys do
and Michael and his toy microscope became an unstoppable force,
mum and dad thought: "Great, we've got a scientist in the family"
but he'd just torture and dissect bugs and beetles, without remorse.
I remember when he was a kid he was always in the woods
making secret dens or 'bear' traps, you know, that sort of thing,
he even got bitten by a squirrel once, gave him a sore finger, you see,
these are the sort of antics that an adventurous spirit can bring.
As he grew up, he became even more experimental and
fingers, a metal coat hook and a live socket became good friends,
no, he never did that again, but the socket reminder stayed a while,
even
though he tried to hide it, yes, even with fingers that had fatter,
even sorer ends.
He also had quite a destructive and competitive streak,
and each year, us kids had our sunflower growing competitions,
we each had a sunflower, our individual pride and joy, but Michael's
was always the tallest. Yes, to this day, we have our suspicions...
But as he entered adulthood the practical joker started to shine and
there's a poor pizza delivery boy out there, who's permanently scarred,
because Michael and his friend pretended to be having some fun
and yes, they were working him and that Hoover, pretty hard.
That poor pizza guy! Still, hopefully he didn't move to Ipswich,
because that's where Michael went to, at her majesty's request,
I guess it was Michael's inquisitive nature working over time,
and I think he'd always heard that those Ipswich girls are the best.
Certainly, that's where he met his magical Sally,
and the two of them, were just perfect together,
they both said they were the best times they ever had,
and I know in Sally, Michael will live on, forever and ever.
Actually, when Michael first met Sally's Dad,
there is a funny story to tell and this is it:
'I have to thank you for having such a wonderful daughter'
Sally's Dad's reply was - don't give me all that bullshit!
BS or not, Michael and Sally told each other of their love,
and this happened every single day, come rain or shine,
but then again, we all loved our loveable rogue, yes,
I know, we're all very proud of that brother of mine.
I know Sally will miss her walks in the woods with Michael,
and I'm sure that Molly and Trixie have a puzzled look on their face,
I also know that those walks were their best ever days,
and Sally, forever, will remember that time and that place.
And we also know, like Peter Pan, our Mickey never grew up,
and I for one, will miss my Chrissie card when Easter comes,
you see, he always loved a joke, he would light up any party,
he loved life and lived it to the full, with a smile, never the glums.
But, in truth, he knew when to be serious,
he was always there for you, at the drop of a hat,
and I know that one of our sunflowers is missing and
I know I'm going to miss Michael, it's as simple as that.
So, in his memory, I'm going to plant sunflowers every year,
so many that he won't be able to chop all of them down,
and whenever I go to the beach, I'll think of him running off
and often ending up on the other side of town...
But I know that Michael was very caring and sensitive,
even though he didn't always show it, I know that he cared,
and we are all very proud to have and shared him in our family,
that adventurous spirit flew where lesser mortals never dared.
And Mickey, will leave us all with everlasting memories,
and I need to say this in some soft and lilting brogue,
good bye dear brother, I love you very much, sleep tight,
yes, be tall, our sunflower, our loveable rogue.
For we know where your adventurous spirit will take you,
and that's why I should start to look to the heavens above,
for no matter what you got up to, good, bad, or indifferent,
you always had this family's and your mum and dad's love.
Copyright Allen Jesson :) 2011
www.agiftofpoetry.com
Craig kindly said:
"Allen, I think we have it, that is perfect.
I really do what to thank you for helping me put the words together for
what is a very sad time for us, and I'm more than happy for you to put your work and the story
on your website.
Kind Regards
Craig"
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